Grey
by Harkman and Teaboy
Summary: There was never a middle ground. Black and White - who could possibly be stupid enough to blur the lines? "They'll have your head, you know." "Not until a new legion rises, they won't." Jack/Ianto. Hints of Tosh/Owen. Discrimination.
1. Prologue

_Can I just say how bloody excited I am to get this story rolling? Oh, gosh - I can't even describe it. I saw the movie "Contagion" today with my friend, and after it ended for some reason the idea for this story just sparked in my mind and I was like, "I HAVE TO GET HOME AND WRITE THIS." Just this scene played out in my head, though - luckily I have a storyline forming on paper that's being written and revised and re-revised, so it's making me more and more excited as it comes together. (: Please let me know what you think! I have a feeling you readers will be able to better grasp what's going on once I post the official first chapter, but for now, here is a smidget!_

_- MJM._

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><p><em><em> If it weren't for Jack Harkness and his stupid fucking _need _to be different, Ianto would not have been where he was right now.

His wrists were beginning to burn every time he showed the smallest signs of struggle against the handcuffs he was wearing. When he woke up from the sedated state of unconscious those tyrannical assholes put him in, his found that he was shackled into a large line with the rest of his "team" (he was really beginning to hate that word; fuck team unity – he wanted out of this idiotic scheme) and the oh so irritating American had his chest pressed up against Ianto's back. As much as Ianto couldn't blame him, for he had his own front pressed up against Tosh's backside as they sat there in chains, the way Jack was breathing down his neck with his lips literally ghosting along the skin was one of the most unwelcomed sensations Ianto had experienced in quite a while.

"Go to hell, Harkness." He hissed, jamming his elbow backwards into whatever part of the American it made contact with. He assumed it was torso, as he heard a swift exhale of oxygen escape the man behind him, and a small groan of pain. Ianto felt no shame.

"Oh, so we're back on a last name basis now, are we?" Jack spat against the spot where Ianto's neck met his shoulder. "Last time I checked, it wasn't my plan that got us caught."

"No, in fact, it was your whole _concept _of trying to _overthrow a government_! Well done – I must say your combination of wit and charm has _really _pulled through for us this time." Ianto's acidic tone lashed back, and he could feel Toshiko tense up in front of him at his words. He wasn't surprised, though; the Japanese woman had been part of White with Ianto since they were young children, and it was very rare that he ever got genuinely angry at someone about literally anything. But when he was irked, oh, did people hear about it.

"Well, I'm so sorry that you decided to join me." Jack's voice sounded weaker, as if he truly realized then what he had gotten them into. "And I'm sorry – about Lisa… I never really apologized until now, but I really am sorry, Ianto."

"Oh, fuck you, Jack. You're only saying that now because your heroic plan to create world peace took it up the arse by the higher ups." The last thing he needed to think about was Lisa. Especially at a time like this when he couldn't give that primitive dunce sitting behind him a black eye. Instead, he struggled against the cuffs, and once again it felt as if hot straightening irons were being pressed against his skin.

"_You're_ only being such an ignorant bastard because you've come to the conclusion that _you _royally fucked yourself over!" Their verbose argument was slowly climbing in volume. It wasn't like it really mattered, anyway. Ianto was sure that no one besides him and the rest of the undercover Grey's were in here, and besides him, Jack and Tosh, they were all still unconscious. Jack's words ground out through gritted teeth against Ianto's hairline, and the Welshman shook him off.

"I wouldn't have gotten into _anything _if you hadn't sidled up to me with your bloody asinine-"

"Will you two just _shut up_?" Tosh snapped, and both men turned to face the lithe frame that sat in front of Ianto, shaking like a leaf. Ianto had to correct himself; she was trembling out of anger, not fright. "I can't check if Owen is still breathing with you two squawking at one another."

At this, Ianto silenced, and he could hear an exhausted sigh sound from Jack. Leaning back, he realized the American's shoulder was much closer than he expected and he rested against the crook of Jack's neck. For some reason, Ianto so badly needed to swing his fists at the man who had his lips pressed against his temple in a comforting gesture. But at the same, he wanted to be held in Jack's arms even though the man who originally came from the opposing forces blamed Ianto for their whole screw up when the feelings should have only been directed towards Jack. It made no sense. Did it matter? Not at the moment, no. So he let his eyes flutter shut as Jack whispered reassurances into his sweaty, blood-matted hair and waited to hear a positive response from Toshiko that Owen was alright.

When the door swung open, the figure that walked in with a confidently sadistic bounce in its step was the last person Ianto expected to see.


	2. One

**OFFICIAL ACTS OF THE LEGIONS:**

**No human born under the White population can reside with those existing in the Black population.**

**No human born under the Black population can reside with those existing in the White population.**

**Any mixed breeds will be executed one week after birth. **

**Those who attempt to rebel against these acts will be subject to execution once proven guilty in a court of law.**

**WE DO NOT ACCEPT HERESY.**

**WE DO NOT CONDONE DEFIANCE. **

**BIOLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.**

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><p>No one was completely sure how the separation between Black and White turned sour. Myths and legends would be passed down through the generations about a time where the two species' could coexist in peace, but it was blatantly obvious that such an era of harmony was long gone. Now they were parted by the government – White was to live in the White community, while Black stayed with Black. There was no mix, no "blur" as people would like to call it; such grasps at a revolution were silenced by the Official Acts. And no one defied the Official Acts.<p>

What people did know was that it originated with a birth mark. When the mother gave birth to her child, a circular mark would be present on their wrist to show what species they were. People considered it as if it was a barcode. A piece of I.D. you couldn't lose. Whatever those circles were made of, it couldn't be removed like a tattoo, despite people's attempts to get rid of it. At one point, some revolutionists were sure that succeeding in erasing the mark meant eternal happiness for their own nameless kind, but great bloodshed occurred when the authorities found out about their plans.

There was Black, and there was White. When you found out you what species you were, you were sized and given clothes only of that shade, and so even if you wanted to hide your mark, people would know where you belonged. Even though other colors and shades did exist in the world, like trees of green and skies of blue, no one ever was born with a colored birth mark. Ancient forms of discrimination and bigotry such as racism against skin color (since racism against marks still existed), sexism, religious bias, and choice of sexuality weren't around anymore. Instead, they were replaced with a strict death penalty for any signs of rebellion against the Official Acts. Which injustice seemed worse? That depended on what sort of situation you were in.

There were, as the Official Acts referred to them as, "biological complications", where sometimes infants would be born with no birth mark at all. Scientists couldn't explain why this happened, but it did nonetheless, and it had to be corrected so there was no blur. Those who were born with no mark had to receive an excruciatingly painful treatment which literally branded you with the shade of your parents. Then there was the situation where a baby would have a splotchy combination of Black and White species. This would occur when either a Black would impregnate a White or vice-versa (sometimes it was just a mishap with past genetics, but the Official Acts wouldn't risk it), so even if they weren't caught during their illegal deed before, the child's birth would be how they paid the price. Children with both a Black and White mark were considered to be Grey.

Grey's were sent to be killed immediately – they were considered mixed breeds and would not be tolerated.

Some believed that the government started splitting up Black and White to represent social class. It was said that, back hundreds of years ago, the Black population was wealthy and successful. The governmental system had consisted of mostly Black's at the time and when wearing black clothing, the dark, sleek fabric represented that of a higher authority. As for being part of the White colony, well – you were placed on a lower pedestal. Back when the Black's overruled, there would be attacks against weaker White's, and you could see the dirt and bloodstains on their clothes to show how worthless they really were. Even as time passed, some believed that White was still a poor bunch of street rats who were meant to perish. Two of those people were Ianto's mother and father. They were both Black.

Being born as a White was one thing Ianto Jones' parents never could have wished upon him. How was that ever possible? Both Astrid and Ifan were Black's. Two Black's could not make a White. It physically defied the government's laws. Despite the fact that Ianto technically was born the enemy, Astrid still fell to her knees on her doorstep when the authorities came to take their one week-old child out of her fresh, motherly arms that still begged to nurture the son she created. Astrid prayed to the heavens that they would realize that, even though two Black's conceived him, he was still born a pure White and could not be sentenced to the death penalty. Luckily, the Retrieval Team did understand this, and her son was taken away.

Ianto Jones was to be shipped off to the White Districts to live in an orphanage with any of the other "biological complications", or children who lost their parents due to slander towards the White colony. As a young child, he grew up never knowing what happened to his parents. The people at the orphanage who took care of him would always chance the topic if the boy ever asked where mum and dad were –the last thing they needed was a six year-old becoming depressed because he found out his mother and father were disgusted by his kind.

As years passed, Ianto proved to be an intelligent, prospective young man who landed a well-paying job in Torchwood Industries, where the latest technology was designed and shipped out all over the world. It was located in Cardiff, Wales – one of the only places that both Black and White colonies resided. Being one of the few "multi-species" regions on the planet, Cardiff was known for its rougher reputation, where many conflicts between the two populations would spur and grow into a chaotic mess. Ianto was lucky enough to keep his head in the sand and dodge all of the fists and spewing hate ever since he had moved to Cardiff from London, but every so often a pretentious Black would wander into his side of the neighborhood to try to stir up trouble.

At Torchwood Industries, there were two wings – one for each species so that there would be no blur between the two. Official Acts couldn't risk the fact that same sex pregnancy was now possible, so the wings of the gargantuan building were separated by guards and electrical fencing. There was no way one White or Black would risk their life just to get to the opposite side. Those who did suffered the consequences in full. Ianto believed those who did try were completely mad. The thought of rebelling never crossed his mind once, unless he was wondering why someone was daft enough to attempt it.

"Another one shot down today," Ianto commented quietly as his flat mate, Lisa, flipped through a magazine on her touch tablet while resting her legs across the Welshman's lap. Lisa Hallett was one of the orphans that Ianto had actually taken a liking to as a young teenager. They quickly befriended one another, and with the same level of intellect, they both moved on to work for Torchwood Industries. There had always been that lingering romantic connection between the two, but neither White did anything about it – there was no point in ruining the friendship they already had if things got messy. Instead, they shared a flat together and were able to work on projects from home if they wanted. Lisa and Ianto together had invented the thin glass panel in Ianto's hand that could download information faster than a computer and project its images through light particles on the surface. It was a magnificent creation, really, but Ianto only used it so he could read the newspaper without wasting paper.

"Who?" Lisa didn't glance up from her own tablet, which was older in model but efficient nonetheless. Ianto still caught her knitted eyebrows of concern.

"Uh… oh wow. They didn't mention his name this time. One John Doe, apparently. He must have got away. A Black, though. Also had an impressive education, too. Higher up in Torchwood." Ianto read out the bits he had highlighted out of curiosity.

This time Lisa did look up. "But you said he was shot down. How could he have gotten away if he was shot?"

Ianto sat for a moment as the puzzle pieces failed to click in his head as well. Instead of investigating further, he shrugged. "Maybe he survived the bullet but OA couldn't let that get into the press. Bad cover-up, though. Nicely done, Ms. Hallett."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones." She laughed, though her tone was still heavy with negativity. "Though I don't see why you continue to read about those poor people, Ianto. It's only depressing. Did it say why he was trying to come over here?"

"Uh," He looked back down at the article, scanning through the paragraphs until he found the information he was looking for. "Oh, that's horrible."

"What?"

"Apparently he was yelling to the gunmen that he just wanted to propose to his girlfriend. They never caught her name." Ianto's voice lowered. It was always disheartening to hear about stories such as the one he was currently reading, but he still believed that whoever this man was, he must've been off his rocker to go that far for a proposal. Ianto wondered how they managed to keep in contact in the first place. Unless they had been previously sneaking around before the shooting, it would have been impossible for them to know each other.

"Oh, god. See, this is why I believe tabloids and such are nothing but a nuisance. Who actually wants to hear about other people dying?" Lisa snapped in a sharp whisper, cradling her tablet in her arms and Ianto pulled her into a hug, running his fingers through her hair.

"It's okay, Lees. Just think – at least it's not us, right? It could always be worse." Ianto rested his chin on her head, smoothing out the fabric of her slightly rumpled white sundress, rubbing her back soothingly. "It could always be worse."

"No one deserves it, Ianto. Not one person on this Earth deserves to be shot down because they love someone. You believe that, don't you?" Lisa sniffed, and the Welshman stopped his ministrations to her back.

"Of course I do." Being a twenty-four year-old meant Ianto's knowledge of the world he lived in today could easily be questioned by those who had lived in such separation for much longer than he had. But he himself had gone through enough pain to last a lifetime. Whether it was living a childhood without parents in a society where his kind was the inferior team, or coming home with a bloody nose and ruined clothes because a couple of Black _pricks _decided to push a few wrong buttons and start a fight with him on the playground. Up until he'd joined Torchwood, Ianto had lived through enough pain and heartache; he didn't need any more of it, so he made a pact to himself to not do anything that could put him into danger.

"Promise you won't go and do anything stupid. You and the girls at work are the only people I have." Lisa rested her head in the crook of his neck, and Ianto put his virtual newspaper down for the time being.

"I promise."

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><p><em>So, how did you enjoy the first real chapter of "Grey"? Let me know what you think! I've decided to start answering reviews at the beginning of each chapter, so if you have something to say about the story, let me know &amp; I will reply to you! Also, if you write as well &amp; would like me to check out your work, feel free to let me know too. If I believe you write quality material, I'll go as far as mentioning you in the next chapter because hey – everyone deserves their own spotlight, don't you think? And if you truly deserve it, I don't see why you shouldn't get a chance.<em>

_MJM._


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